Whatcom’s unemployment rate nearly unchanged in June

Whatcom County’s unemployment rate was nearly changed in June, marking the fourth straight month it was under 6 percent.

The local jobless rate was 5.8 percent in June, slightly up from a revised rate of 5.7 percent in May, according to new data from the Washington State Employment Security Department.

The most significant change in the data was a drop in the number of construction jobs between May and June. According to the data, 6,300 were employed in construction last month, down 900 from May. The June total for construction jobs is 500 more than a year ago.

The county did see a boost in tourism-related jobs, rising by 300 people between May and June. According to the data, 6,040 people were actively seeking employment last month, nearly identical to May.

King County continued to have the lowest unemployment rate in the state, coming in at 4 percent. Skagit County’s rate was 6.6 percent last month, while Snohomish came in at 4.3 percent. Ferry County had the highest rate at 9.6 percent.